LCUSD News

I write to share news about a program that our Superintendent and School Board support, and that we as a site strongly endorse. La Cañada High School has applied for and been accepted to work with Challenge Success. This program, headquartered at Stanford University, aligns with much of our own vision on providing resources and support for all students at LCHS. Challenge Success describes their mission succinctly:

At Challenge Success, we believe that our society has become too focused on grades, test scores, and performance, leaving little time for kids to develop the necessary skills to become resilient, ethical, and motivated learners. We provide families and schools with the practical, research-based tools they need to create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for kids. After all, success is measured over the course of a lifetime, not at the end of a semester.

We are initiating our support to include teams of representatives from our site to serve in multiple capacities. We will initiate this work by sending a representative team, a team comprised of our two site Principals, teacher leaders, student representatives, and parent volunteers. A team from each school will travel to Stanford to work in partnership with Challenge Success and they study how we might move forward in this work at both the 7/8 grade site, as well as the 9-12 level. Depending on interest, we will also endeavor to form site representative teams that will support all of the work as it continues. Each of these teams will then partner with a broader school community.

If you are interested in being a member of any of these teams, in any capacity, please apply. Attached to this letter is an application that is due to both my office and Dr. Gold’s office on the 23rd of May, 2016. For the 7/8 team, please email your completed application to jgold@lcusd.net. For the 9-12, please email me at imcfeat@lcusd.net. Hard copies of applications can be sent to 4463 Oak Grove Ave., La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011, Attention: Principal McFeat (LCHS 9-12) or Dr. Gold (LCHS 7/8).

While the goal and mission of Challenge Success is not narrowly defined and will be shaped by our representatives, we know and understand the general aim. The work is designed to help students navigate and define what success means for each of them. We hope that this program will help us to accomplish this goal together. I am excited about these developments and hope you are too. Thank you for your support of our school.